Past Haunting Me
by Aeilde Light
Summary: Dumbledore finally steps up to face Grindlewald, in spite of their former friendship. this is a one shot story.


Dumbledore sighed deeply, but he had avoided the task long enough. The wizarding community was fearful and public outcry had grown far too loud to ignore anymore. He had to face Grindlewald, and it would be the hardest thing he had ever done.

He apparated and found himself in Scandinavia, snow lightly coating the ground. Buildings around him lay in various states of disarray and destruction, but undisturbed since the last snow fall. Dumbledore walked slowly through the abandoned town, reminding himself why he was here, why he had to confront Grindlewald, despite the sorrow he held in his heart. He shook his head gently to clear it focused on the task at hand, finding Grindlewald. He searched the area for traces of powerful magic, hoping for anything that may point him in the right direction. A small noise nearby caught him by surprise and he jumped, his wand at the ready, swinging around to face the noise. Rather than finding a person, he found himself faced with a small doll, floating head height in the air. The wood on top of it had shifted as it rose into the air. The doll was simplistic, with yarn hair and button eyes and looked rather worn and well loved by whoever had owned it previously. Dumbledore hoped the child was still alive deep in his heart. The seam comprising the doll's mouth tore open and it spoke with Grindlewald's voice, stuffing cascading down its mouth and onto the dirt and snow below.

"_ALBUS, I AM WHERE IT BEGAN, WAITING FOR YOU TO FINISH IT WITH ME._" the seam ripped wider and wider with each word, tearing through completely with the last word, the top half of the doll head plopping onto the ground disturbingly, followed closely by the body. Both burst into a fierce flame and were gone within mere moments. Dumbledore felt his resolve harden and stood up straight, ready to apparate. He knew where Grindelwald meant, the fields near Godric's Hollow where they had met, where they had discussed the Hallows and concocted the damned ideal of 'for the greater good'. Dumbledore composed himself and apparated, ready to fight the darkest wizard of his time.

The wind blew cruelly and bitter cold, the field empty and barren of the grasses he remembered fondly from his childhood. A man sat on a blanket with picnic basket of food beneath a blackened tree at the edge of the field, waiting for Dumbledore.

"Albus, I was expecting you sooner. The food's growing cold." Grindlewald began taking the food out of the basket, setting it on the blanket around him. Dumbledore approached slowly, uncertain how to proceed. He had not expected to find Grindlewald under their tree, enjoying a meal.

"I apologize, Gellert, I only just got your invitation." Dumbledore stopped a few meters from where Grindlewald sat.

"And did you like it? The doll rather reminded me of your sister's…" he stopped contemplatively. Dumbledore felt his hand tighten around his wand in his pocket compulsively. "You know I would have invited you earlier if I had known you wanted to come Albus." Grindlewald looked him in the eye and Dumbledore had to fight the memories of a much younger boy looking at him with those same eyes, making promises of grandeur, and more silent promises of love.

"I never wanted to come Gellert, but you have forced my hand with your actions. I didn't want to come, I had to come." Dumbledore replied softly, his words carrying all the weight he felt in his heart. Grindlewald sighed and stood, walking towards him.

"Must we do this now? I've only just set out the food." Grindlewald took a position away from the tree, about ten meters in front of Dumbledore, leaving him to wonder if Grindlewald was fearful of destroying the old, naked tree they had shared so much under.

"Now or never Gellert, and it must be now." Dumbledore drew his wand out of his cloak and raised it. Gellert raised his wand as well, a very old wand, confirming Dumbledore's fears and suspicions.

"I actually found it, Albus. If it exists, the others must too. We can join together and find them, put all of this behind us…and besides, you know you can't win this fight, not when I have the Elder Wand…"

"You know as well as I the bloody history of that wand, Gellert. Step down now before the wand chooses a new owner and you are killed." Dumbledore readied himself, sure Grindlewald wouldn't, couldn't back down any more than he could.

"I can't Albus, you know that. I've come too far to stop now, a brighter future for the wizarding world is at hand, the future we used to dream about. I won't give it up just because you want to stand in my way." Grindlewald spit out the last part bitterly, as if betrayed by his childhood friend. Dumbledore sighed inwardly. Grindlewald had betrayed his trust, and abused his love long ago. He had no right to call foul now.

"I won't apologize for doing what is right Gellert, but I am sorry it came down to you and I. I had hoped you would come to your senses and stop, or that someone else could make you stop, but I suppose, in a way, it was always going to be me, wasn't it?" Dumbledore asked sadly, realizing he had to stop the monster he helped create decades ago.

"Come to my senses?"Grindlewald laughed cruelly, "It is you who has lost their way! 'For the greater good'! Remember? You were the one who first said it! You! YOU BETRAYED YOUR IDEALS BECAUSE A FEW CAME CRYING TO YOU, BEGGING FOR PITY! YOU SHOULD DIE! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Grindlewald screamed at him, lunging forward with his wand in a rage. Dumbledore dodged to the side, taken aback by Grindlewald's sudden explosion, and began to fight back. Grindlewald threw curse after curse at him as Dumbledore deflected each one with precision, making them bounce off and hit the dead field around him. Grindlewald yowled like an animal and came running at him, still shooting spells at Dumbledore rabidly. One ricocheted and hit the tree with a sickening crunch that Dumbledore felt in his very soul.

"NOOO!" Grindlewald cried out, looking at the now splintered tree. He clutched at his face and feel to his knees, screaming insanities.

Dumbledore walked towards him and spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry Gellert, so sorry I couldn't help you…" he thought it likely Grindlewald hadn't even heard him, but it needed to end. Now. He raised his wand to Grindlewald's head; the broken man didn't even notice he was there. Dumbledore opened his mouth, but the breath caught in his throat. Grindlewald deserved to die, he needed to die, but Dumbledore couldn't do it, he couldn't kill the boy he once loved, no matter how deformed his heart and soul had become.

"Stupefy," he said gently. Grindlewalds body slumped to the ground mid howl and Dumbledore quickly bound him. He looked around the fields. The battle had only taken a few moments, and he himself had only cast defensive spells…but the entirety of the field was pockmarked as if they had desperately fought for days. He looked at the tree, existing only in pieces now, the blanket and basket ironically undisturbed. He could even see steam still rising from the food laid out. He hung his head, mourning all he lost today, and all that was lost because he failed to act sooner, because he had been too cowardly to face his past.

Dumbledore fell to his knees in the muddy field and cried.


End file.
